{"id":58716,"date":"2025-03-02T05:00:47","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T10:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=58716"},"modified":"2025-03-01T22:33:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T03:33:46","slug":"patriots-news-3-02-the-combine-and-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/03\/02\/patriots-news-3-02-the-combine-and-free-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots News 3-02, The Combine and Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning. I can\u2019t believe we are in March already.\u00a0 A bit of trivia that only interests me\u2026Did you know that March is named after the Roman god of war, Mars, because, as the spring thaw happens, the weather was generally good enough to go to battle?<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the last day of the NFL Scouting Combine, which has been fun to watch. Were there any surprises for our readers?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Combine finishes today. Free agency begins on March 12, but the legal tampering window starts on March 10. This year, the NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay from April 24 to 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots’ initial free agency window is paramount. But as I\u2019ve said many times, while discussing the draft and scanning the mock drafts is fun, these are completely contingent on the team making moves in free agency.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the team signs a premier left tackle, defensive tackle, or edge rusher in free agency, they are not as likely to target that position with the #4 pick. It could possibly lead to them trading back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Vrabel hinted they wanted to build around the trenches because it was a big team weakness. No one will argue that. They have the money to easily sign two, possibly three big-name free agents if they can come to terms. Then, their approach to the draft will no doubt change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eliot Wolf has repeatedly stated that they want to build through the draft, and that is always the best way. However, with so many holes in the roster and the cap space they have to spend ($134,789,000 according to <\/span>@patscap<\/span><\/a>) the money won\u2019t do them any good in the draft. Use it, sign some good players, and start filling up some holes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reportedly, the Patriots are out on Tee Higgins. If that is the case, that will open up more cash to spend elsewhere. There was a report that they will try to trade for a WR. That opens up a much larger pool of players they may covet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Eliot<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Travis Hunter: <\/b>Hunter met with the Patriots at Indianapolis and was trash-talked to by HC Mike Vrabel about playing both ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I\u2019m sure Travis doesn\u2019t even know, but we were kind of jawing back-and-forth as he left last night, and I said, \u2018You\u2019re not the only one that played two ways. There were some other guys that did this, too<\/span><\/i>,’\u201d Vrabel said on the NFL Network Combine broadcast Thursday. \u201c<\/span>And he kind of looked at me, and we laughed<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hunter probably didn\u2019t know that Vrabel played both ways for the Patriots and caught ten touchdown passes on ten targets from Tom Brady, with two in the Super Bowl, against Carolina and Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

But unlike Vrabel, Hunter wants to play two ways full-time. That would be the first in a very long time. <\/span>****TRIVIA QUESTION****<\/b> Who was the last player to do that? (Answer at the bottom)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots believe that Hunter is the best wide receiver and the best cornerback in the draft. That is saying something. Would they pull the trigger on Hunter with the 4th pick if he\u2019s there? Stay tuned\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Vrabel: <\/b>At his presser in Indy, Vrabel talked about his year in Cleveland, and why he moved Ben McAdoo to the defense this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Just how critical\u2026 Just the little things. Right? Just the staff and being mindful of when new coaches come on to the staff. I know that Kevin was conscious of that.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s why he \u2026 I love the idea of having me work with the offense. It\u2019s something that I\u2019ve thought was very beneficial to those coaches, to me to have conversations, the way that some offensive coaches see things and the way that defensive coaches may see them a little differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I have been able to do that in New England and moved Ben [McAdoo] over to defense to help Terrell and that staff just look at it from an offensive perspective and things that we can make sure that we\u2019re taken care of and not letting slip<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eliot Wolf: <\/b>Wolf spoke to the media on the 26th in Indy and had this to say: \u201c<\/span>This is my 31st combine. Started coming here in 1994 when I was 11 years old. It\u2019s really cool to see how this thing has developed and grown in a lot of ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really cool and rewarding so far working with Coach [Mike] Vrabel. He has a lot of great ideas, a vision for the team, an effort that we\u2019re all working together. He\u2019s met with the scouts, he\u2019s met with me, he\u2019s met with everybody. It\u2019s all authentic and genuine, and it\u2019s really good to see just how he\u2019s developed and how we\u2019re all going to develop this thing together moving forward<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>That being said, last season, ultimately, the roster was on me. We were 4-13. Just didn\u2019t get enough done. Certainly, the free agency class didn\u2019t live up to our expectations. The draft class, it\u2019s too soon to tell, but we were expecting a bigger impact from some of those guys, and we\u2019re still hopeful that they\u2019ll get to that point.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited about Drake Maye. We\u2019re excited about working with Coach Vrabel. Everything that we\u2019re doing is to improve this football team and getting to where we need to go. The fans, understanding their frustrations, I share those frustrations<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Davon Godchaux: <\/b>The team permitted Godchaux to seek a trade somewhere. He doesn\u2019t fit the mold of the defensive lineman that the new coaches are searching for as they switch to a penetrating front four instead of a two-gapping style that Godchaux played as a nose tackle.\u00a0 Godchaux has been good with the Patriots and hasn\u2019t missed a game in four years in New England. He appeared in all 68 games with 67 starts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

D.K. Metcalf: <\/b>There have been reports that the Patriots have had discussions with Seattle to trade for the 27-year-old wide receiver.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“According to multiple sources with knowledge of ongoing discussions, the Seahawks have spoken with the Packers, Patriots, and one unknown team extensively this week on Metcalf\u2019s availability,” Corbin Smith of the Emerald City Spectrum wrote. “<\/span>The former All-Pro will be entering the final year of his current contract and carries a $31 million cap hit in 2025, which has led to suitors upping the ante trying to pry him away.<\/span><\/i>“<\/span><\/p>\n

Metcalf shot down rumors to New England in January when he said that he didn\u2019t want to live in Foxboro. He caught 66 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns last season for Seattle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stevan Ridley: <\/b>The former Patriot running back was on the \u201cGames With Names\u201d podcast with Julian Edelman. He retold a <\/span>hilarious story<\/span><\/a> of how, as a rookie, Bill Belichick put him in Fat Camp. Edelman\u2019s podcast is the best bar-none.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mock Draft: <\/b>I conducted<\/span> a mock draft<\/span><\/a> last week without making any trades. I\u2019ll be doing another one soon and trying to incorporate some trades.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patriots 4th & 2 Podcast:<\/b> Derek and I took the week off to watch the Combine in its entirety. We\u2019ll be back this week to discuss it. Please check us out and listen to us on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Russ Francis\/Chuck Fairbanks:<\/b> The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn\u2019t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders\u2019 Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position. This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis\u2019 numbers stand up well against Casper\u2019s, yet he isn\u2019t even in the team\u2019s HOF.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Trevor<\/p>\n

Georgia RB Trevor Etienne at the 2025 NFL Combine. (PHOTO: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Combine Standouts:<\/b><\/h3>\n

While many of the top prospects didn\u2019t work out, opting to wait until their Pro-Days, some of the ones who did were very impressive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M:<\/b><\/p>\n

Stewart measured in at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds with long arms. He jumped an incredible 40 inches in the vertical (second-best among Combine defensive linemen), one of only four defensive linemen over 260 pounds to leap that high since 2003. His official 1.58-second 10-yard split and 4.59-second 40-yard dash were impressive. His 10-foot-11 broad jump ranked best among defensive linemen. No surprises there, his tape speaks for itself<\/span><\/p>\n

Nick Emmanwori, Safety, South Carolina:<\/b><\/p>\n

Emmanwori is a big dude at 6\u20193 and 220 pounds, but man, that guy is athletic. He recorded a 43-inch vertical jump, tying the third-best vertical for a safety since tracking began in 2003. Emmanwori turned in an 11 foot, 6 inch broad jump and a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, both highs for his position. Dude can fly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Edge, Georgia<\/b><\/p>\n

Ingram-Dawkins is a big, athletic edge rusher who tipped the scales at 6\u20195, 276 and ran a 4.86-second 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical and a 10-foot-4 broad jump. He had a 1.69 10-yard split (tied for best in the position group), and his 20.59 miles per hour speed came in at second-best\u2026at 276 pounds? Ridiculous. Ingram-Dawkins\u2019 tape is impressive, and his movement in the drills was fantastic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joshua Simon, TE, South Carolina:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Simon is a sixth-year senior split between Western Kentucky and South Carolina. He was always known for his athleticism. He\u2019s a 6-4 pass catcher and ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash at 239 pounds. He impressed in the jumps, too, with 38 inches in the vertical and 10\u20194 in the broad. He ran smooth routes and displayed soft hands in drills. He can be a chain mover at the next level. Probably be an early Day 3 pick.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama:<\/b><\/p>\n

Watching all of Alabama\u2019s games every year, I love this guy\u2019s game. He\u2019s not the biggest off-the-ball linebacker at\u00a0 6\u20193, 235, but he plays above his weight. Campbell ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and jumped 10-foot-7 in the broad jump, showcasing his explosion. Campbell’s work through drills was fantastic, and he moves effortlessly in space. Would love to see him available at Rd 2 when the Patriots pick.<\/span><\/p>\n

RB Trevor Etienne<\/strong><\/p>\n

Etienne transfered from Florida to the Georgia Bulldogs on Christmas Day. And he had a good season with Bulldogs.<\/p>\n

Etienne had a really good day in a 4.42. He also jumped 35″ in the vertical and 10’4 in the broad jump. His size will work against him in the draft a bit but he has the burst and elusiveness and the long speed. I had him as a fit for New England in my first mock draft.<\/p>\n

Parting Shots:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked at Indy about the defenses he ran at Tennessee with just rushing four and blitzing very little. And after the Super Bowl, how important is that factor?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Well, I think that you have to pick and choose your spots. And again, it\u2019s not about the blitz, it\u2019s about the blitzer. It\u2019s the player that\u2019s blitzing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAnd so if we have an opportunity to get a player on a running back and they can beat the running back as they\u2019re rushing, then we want to do that as much as we can. But if you don\u2019t have a player that\u2019s going to beat the running back, then it doesn\u2019t really make sense getting that match up. And we\u2019ll focus on the pass rushers that we have.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about picking and choosing your spots. But if you can affect the quarterback with playing a four-man rush and playing some zone or being able to get some vision on the quarterback, I think that the ball production will increase or you have to take guys out of coverage to try to affect the quarterback.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always issues with that as well. We want to be balanced and do what our players probably can execute the best<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

______________<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, again, just looking at the staff, extremely proud of the staff that we were able to put together. It\u2019s difficult in the National Football League to be able to get every coach that you may covet or may want to get outside the coordinators that aren\u2019t a coordinator at somewhere else just because of the rules.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cTeams are under contract. Some teams want to keep the coaches that they have. They feel like they\u2019re good coaches. But we were able to put together a great staff, one that we\u2019re really proud of.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cYou asked about Josh [McDaniels], and I would say that having had communications with Josh in my role in Cleveland, he wasn\u2019t under contract with a team, so we had numerous conversations, interviewed a handful of great candidates, and in the end felt like Josh was the best fit to lead our offense, just like Terrell [Williams] was the best fit to lead our defense. And Jeremy [Springer] and Tom [Quinn] were returning to lead the special teams unit.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on how the coaching staff came together<\/span><\/p>\n

(Special thanks to Ian Logue for transcribing all of these pressers.)<\/span><\/p>\n

_______________<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTalent sets the floor; Character sets the ceiling.\u201d Bill Belichick<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at<\/span><\/i> stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to our<\/span><\/i> Patriots 4th and 2<\/span><\/i><\/a> podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, and myself from<\/span><\/i> PatsFans.com<\/span><\/i><\/a> discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Trivia Answer: Chuck Bednarik in the 1950s)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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